The Wolf Among the Sheep
by Nyx the Author
Summary: Dehaka. The One-Who-Collects. Primal Zerg. He has been living as a lieutenant for years in the Swarm, guided by his leader and ally Kerrigan. An anomaly appears when he least expects it, and becomes a chess piece that no one can control... all because the Simurgh was bored. (Alt!Power Taylor)
1. Hunt 1-1

I got this into my head during finals and it won't leave. So here we are. (As a warning this will be a darker fic at some points, also character death)

Just so you know, I'm also posting on SpaceBattles if you prefer that site over this one. (Only Worm stuff though)

* * *

 **The Primal One: Collection 1.1**

The swarm. A hive mind of galactic proportions, constantly evolving, never dying. Always adapting. The inhabitants were the Zerg, a species with an unknown origin, corrupted by the Xel'Naga. They moved through solar systems slaying and assimilating countless species, taking on warped versions of the species skills, so as to be better prepared against an opponent. A single drone that makes its way to an innocent planet would spell doom within weeks for all who resided there.

The lieutenant of the Swarm, Dehaka, prowled his territory on the planet Char, searching for the unnatural disturbance that was felt earlier that planetary cycle. It was oh so similar to his Queen, but so different. It was the sign of _evolution_. The sign of overwhelming _essence_. The sign of _Xel'Naga_. And Dehaka wanted it.

He stood withing a clearing of rocks, circling the point at which the energy was the strongest. If it were a threat, he would kill it, the swarm already prepared for an attack of unprecedented proportions. If it were not a threat... it would still be targeted. Whatever the result, Dehaka would still collect its essence. He would evolve...

* * *

The Simurgh eyed the planet below lazily, thoughts flitting by at an impossible rate, post and pre-recognition sight allowing to see every possibility of the future. The chessboard was already pre-determined. In her eyes, the game was already over. It was actually rather boring.

Of course there was always the fun of messing with the puny humans below by turning a few degrees every now and then, convincing them she would strike soon. Fools.

A thought occurred. If the board was predetermined, then it was no fun. Why not put a piece on the board that she could not see? A wild card, per se. Now _that_ would be fun...

* * *

Taylor struggled in the locker, banging the door roughly as she screamed. The students in the hall ignored her cries, too intimidated by the threat of the trio looming over them to consider being a decent person. She rolled up into a ball, unable to scream any more, exhausted. She shuddered, unable to move as bugs crawled over her. She wanted to leave. Wanted to run. Just get out. _Get out. Someone get her out. GET OUT_ _GETOUT_ _GETOUT_ _GETOUT_ _GETOUT_ _GETOUT_ _GETOUT!_

[Connection]

Two beings floated in space, stars whirling by...

[Destination]

[Agreeme-]

Something changed, the two entities leaving her view...

[Sb3*nE/!\ERROR]

A distant planet, burning with flames. A creature, willing to do anything to evolve, grow stronger, be the best survivor. Not the strongest, but the best...

A pause, silence settling over time and space.

[Command Overwritten]

[Infestation]

[Resignation]

[Agreement]

* * *

Dehaka felt a pull on his body. He struggled, unable to move. In an instant he recorded the anomaly and sent it to his ally Stukov, who began rallying forces to retrieve Dehaka. He realized he was unable to fight the pull, and had a brief moment to make an apology to his Queen before he-

Wait... he could feel something on the other side. The other side of what? Nothing, yet everything. He wanted that energy, _needed it_. He moved to it. The Swarm lunged forward to stop the event.

It was too late. His perception stretched across reality itself, his mind struggling to remain whole. Through supreme effort he managed to survive. And then he arrived. All he could feel was... _ESSENCE_.

* * *

The Simurgh observed as the new piece landed somewhere on the planet below, avoiding the gaze of the Golden One. Now she could finally have some fun...

* * *

Taylor froze as she could sense something outside the locker. It had been hours, school closing long ago. The doors were locked, but someone was there. She could feel them, knew their movements before they did them. "h-help..." she feebly whispered. In the instant she verbalized a command, the person burst forward, ripping the door off its hinges.

She stumbled out, into the arms of her rescuer. "T-thank you..." Finally, a human being who was a decent person!

She looked up into the yellow eyes of a predator, his fanged mouth filling her field of view. "Greetings. I am the One-Who-Collects. What do you wish of me, my Queen?" The being rasped, his harsh voice sounding like someone who had not hydrated in weeks. She promptly passed out.

* * *

Dehaka did not know where he was. He did not care. There was essence to be found in this land, and he had just found his new Queen. Her mind was similar to the other Zerg, although he was the only one in the hive mind connection, that would soon change if he-

Dehaka shook his head. If he could not feel the Swarm, there would be no way to make more brood to join them within the next galaxy or so. It was him and this... Terran Zerg to survive until they could contact the Swarm.

He was a loner, not used to traveling with a pack. Thankfully, his ages in the Swarm increased his skill at working as a team, opening up new ways of seeing a situation. His first goal: Protect the 'New Queen'. He did not know the Terran's name, so the designation would be 'New Queen'. His second goal would be to establish a protective base in an area to which he could survive on this clearly Terran based planet. Third: Examine all threats that may appear for essence gathering.

He carefully picked up his 'New Queen' under one arm, and stalked out through the Terran building. His spikes rippled in disgust as he had to pass by many chemically sterilized environments, his senses constantly telling him he was in danger with no backup.

He approached a set of glass barriers that impeded his progress, so he simply broke through them. He could have done this a simpler way and burrowed his way out, but he was unaware of any impeding subterranean objects Terrans may use for Zerg invasions.

The surrounding area was that of ancient Terran abodes, none outfitted with the proper technology that one would find in the Koprulu sector. It was so... peaceful that it disturbed Dehaka. What kind of Terrans lived here where they expected such a fragile structure to protect them from banelings? His prehensile tail dragged along behind him as he carried his fragile load away from the densely populated source, towards what he could tell was an ocean of some kind. Perhaps there would be shelter in that direction.

* * *

 **Dehaka** ( **The-One-Who-Collects** )  
Brute 6, Striker 5, Stranger 4, Thinker 3, Mover 4, Master 2, Trump 1  
Increased Strength and intelligence the more he kills and gains essence. Can burrow underground or evolve to gain more stealth abilities. Has a tongue he can use to grapple or pull in objects, stunning an opponent. He can also make a small swarm of bioparticles that eat at anything nearby like small insects, but are in fact microscopic Zerg drones used to quickly deteriorate objects. Takes on an aspect of the beings he kills, improving his combat ability each time. Sees Taylor as his Queen due to her master abilities, which keep him in check much like Kerrigan back on Char.

 **Taylor Hebert  
** Thinker 3, Master 5  
Can control Dehaka with commands. He only follows her because she is the closest thing on the planet to a hive mind connection, and he relies on her judgement for most non-combative situations. Otherwise is a baseline human.


	2. Hunt 1-2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._  
 _Dehaka speaks slowly, only a few words at a time (for those who do not know him). He does not have a limited vocabulary, but simply chooses to use the most concise language he can for efficiency._

 **The-One-Who-Collects: Arrival 1.2**

Darkened alleyways opened up to dimly lit streets as Dehaka sniffed the air. "Abandoned structure. Will suffice." He said, finding a large empty metal box structure with glass windows every few feet. There was no sign of Terran activity in the area in recent days, so it would be unlikely anyone would enter the premises.

He entered the large structure, the metal door causing no problem for his clawed limbs, the two available arms pulling it off like styrofoam.

Crates littered the corners, clearly emptied recently, but contained some kind of fiber based material that could be used for containing warmth of Terrans. If only his 'New Queen' were Zerg, it would be so much simpler. He could try infusing her with some blood to increase her healing, but that would be highly dangerous, probably lethal if she were 100% Terran like her appearance showed. Only Abathur would be confident in attempting something like that.

It was currently, night, but thanks to his sensitive skin, he spread the fabric along the floor in the warmest spot he could find; it was under a view port where sunlight had previously left the ground warmer then the surrounding area.

The 'New Queen' was severely injured, but it was superficial, none of the injuries having broken her bones or anything irreparable like that. Dehaka ensured she was safe and behind a few boxes before hissing in satisfaction. He would know if she were disturbed, their bond too powerful at such a close range.

He could hear her stomach growl, clearly lacking the proper sustenance. That must be rectified immediately in order to supply her body with the proper nutrients, allowing her to heal faster. Therefore, he must hunt.

* * *

The moon shone overhead, lighting up the path ahead. Dehaka was glad for the light, not that he needed it with his bio-luminescent bulbs in his skin and his eyes that were made for nocturnal hunting. He could smell his surroundings, feeling the small insect based creatures hop around in the grasses and small mammals leaping in the trees. He nearly laughed at the idea of using such puny creatures for Essence collection. Hundreds of them would not satisfy even a smidgen of his lust for Essence. These Terrans on the other hand... they could be an ample source of collection. They had no defining traits that would allow him to increase his combat capabilities, but something about them held _potential._ At the very least they could be used to increase his mental capacities, which he hadn't increased in quite some time. "This planet has much Essence. So varied. I must collect."

He could smell Terrans more, moving closer to an occupied area. He could also smell food, and Terran prey. Four Terrans were guarding another structure much like the one his 'New Queen' was resting in. This building seemed to be currently in use, some kind of gathering perhaps? They seemed to have a decent amount of Essence within them, enough to satiate him for a short time. The scent of food seemed to be coming from within, hints of Terran meals and that horrid sound they called music were within.

He moved forward hastily, tackling the first guard to the ground, his weight alone crushing the man's chest. His tongue wrapped around the other's throat without him moving, and choked the man, the air in the Terran's lungs slowly depleting as gasps of pain echoed in the area. The two remaining guards stared in shock, and raised their ranged weapons.

"Sustenance. Must be. Collected." he growled to them in lieu of an explanation, feet clacking as he shifted uneasily. "Queen incapacitated. Do not. Flee." he growled at them.

The two men charged at him, brandishing feeble weapons that would take weeks to even scratch his hide. The first Terran was long dead before he finished killing the second, the Essence of the humans flowing into him like a breeze. He sighed as their Essence, his body converting it to matter that could be used to evolve. Although he was not as adept at spinning strands as an Evolution Master such as Abathur, he could control his own body's form to a unique degree, spurned by the Essence consumed. He focused on adapting his brain to be able to think faster, process more inputs as he would surely need to react to new threats before they could locate him.

He turned to face the metal door in his way, and decided to push it gently. It flew off its hinges with a crash, hitting multiple Terrans at once. The music stopped, Dehaka enjoying the silence as the horrid Terran 'music' ended. "Direct me to sustenance. I require it." He growled, the Terrans pulling multiple weapons from their clothing. He chuckled, the horrible sound echoing in the room. Did they really think such weak weapons would stop him? They were nowhere as advanced as the Terran Marines he once faced, who could barely land a scratch on him. Oh well, it simply meant more Essence to be collected.

It was almost over _too_ fast. He released his nano-swarm, the microscopic Zerg fleas eating away at the Terrans with a rapid pace. The multiple men caught in the attack screamed and began convulsing from the pain. Dehaka whipped around, decapitating one Terran with his claws while doing the same thing with his tail to another. Bullets were flying, but the few than managed to puncture his skin were pushed out as he healed, slowly regenerating.

 _Thwip_. His tongue grabbed a man and used his to hit the other men, knocking them around. He then slammed the man into the ground, crushing his skull. Ah, the enjoyment of combat, the hungering for sustenance. It was like he was home again.

He looked around as the bullets stopped, realizing he had taken out every man in the room in a few seconds. He quickly made short work of the Terrans, puncturing their brains efficiently with a claw and taking their Essence before they could get up or call for help. He stood, the Essence of these puny creatures flowing, and his skull evolved, the plates lined on his head lengthening and his brains's prefrontal cortex increasing in size by a few millimeters.

Satisfied with that night's hunt, he gathered some crates that seemed to have materials and a food source for 'New Queen'. He held it securely with his two smaller arms, and trundled back to the 'New Queen'. He walked into 'New Queen's abode, depositing the boxes by her feet. She still slept, completely asleep. He sighed as he sat down and helped himself to some raw steak from another box. Meat is meat, no matter how spoiled one could still use it for nutrients.

He placed the other boxes by the entrances to prevent entry, and laid down to wait for the 'New Queen' to awaken.

* * *

Taylor shifted under her sheets, groaning as her body ached with soreness. She felt like she'd been sick for weeks. The rough blankets helped keep her worm as- she stopped moving. Rough blankets? Where were her soft bed sheets? She frantically tried to come up with where she was, but couldn't find an explanation.

An image flowed into her mind, a picture of a dim warehouse entering her vision. She flinched as she realized someone had put the image into her head, like a text message of some kind. Feeling with her mind (That was a weird thing to explain) she felt a connection in the distance... a moving image she could see through like a television. There was an alleyway and a warehouse that the 'camera' was rapidly approaching. It was rather disorienting, but she ignored it in order to focus on her pounding headache and nausea, trying not to puke. She tried moving to the side to get up, and hit a wall. The other directions had the same effect, and it was similar to what she remembered feeling back in the locker.

Oh god... the locker!

Eyes snapping open, she looked around frantically to see that she was inside of a dark confined space. ' _A casket?! Where am I?!_ ' She pushed the lid off with an explosive motion, the tight space causing her to almost have a panic attack, the walls feeling like they were closing in. The lid fell off with a clatter, hitting the concrete floor, and she winced at the sound.

She looked around to see the inside of a warehouse, the floor dusty and lacking use, only marked by some kind of footprints on the floor. They were too strange to identify, but the size was large enough to correlate to a large person, or animal. Swallowing her fear, Taylor crept to the side to look around the box. A soft clacking sound met her ears, and she saw a large figure pacing in the room.

Feeling for the connection, she could see some kind of movement. It moved erratically, like the person was limping, and they were pacing back and forth. She bumped into a piece of metal rebar, a ringing sound piercing the air.

The figure before her swung its head around, staring at her position. She nearly gasped as she saw four glowing eyes staring at her, and in the darkness three limbs and a prehensile tail. Whatever this was, it was built to kill. Taylor felt a brief moment of disorientation as the camera she could see in her mind swung to the side, and she saw herself in the strange sight.

"I can feel. Connection. Are you healthy, my Queen?" A deep voice growled suddenly. She heard the voice in her mind at the same time, and she stared.

"No way..." she gasped, realizing she was seeing from the creature's point of view.

There was no sound, and the creature took an curious step forward. "Do you require. Sustenance?" it asked gruffly.

It seemed to want a response. "Um..." her stomach growled. "Sure..."

The beast trundled over to a box, which was cleaner than the others, and pried it open with ease. It gripped some material and pulled out a bag. Walking over to her, it held out a grocery bag with its tail. "Sustenance collected."

She took the bag carefully, ensuring she was not going to cut herself on the creature's bladed tail. Looking inside, she raised her eyebrow at the assorted food within. There was some beef jerky, some dried apples, and some chips in the bag along with bottled water. "Thank you." she said, pulling out some beef jerky.

The being nodded and sat down on the floor, watching her.

After chewing on the food for a while, she looked at its intelligent gaze. "So, whawt egatly awe yoo?" she asked with her mouth full. She realized it was rude to talk that way, but it seemed to understand her nonetheless.

"I am the One-Who-Collects. I kill, I take Essence. I am Primal Zerg. I am Dehaka." it answered.

"Why do you call me Queen? What are you?"

"You are my Queen. My hope of returning to the Swarm. You shine. You will bring me more Essence, and I will follow. When you do not, I will not. You are the only true user of Psionic in this solar system. Only one on this planet who can communicate with me psionically. My only chance to return to the Swarm." he explained.

Taylor was interested. "The Swarm?" she inquired.

The being nodded. "I am Primal Zerg. We were made to evolve. To collect Essence. The Zerg were corrupted by the Xel'Naga. The corrupted became the Swarm. The Swarm consumes all. I must return to my Queen."

Taylor frowned. "But you said I am your Queen."

"You are my Queen." Dehaka nodded his tail moving slightly faster. "You are New Queen, very cunning. I sense potential. Old Queen is alive. She is distant, and I must return to her. She is the Queen of Blades. I must return. My pack lacks leadership." He shifted uneasily, a sense of frustration passing between them. "This is a new experience. The Primal Zerg have never had a Psionic connection to a host. The Primal Zerg do not need a Psionic connection. Yet our bond exists. I am confused." He seemed worried about that fact.

"Well, It's new for me too. We just have to deal with it, I guess." Taylor nodded. So he was in charge of some of this 'Swarm', which was a large group of some species called the Zerg. He came to her when she triggered, and now apparently he listened to her because she was smart. She giggled, and Dehaka felt her amusement. Terrans had quite the emotional range. It was rather strange to feel. Dehaka did not know how to react to that. Better to ask.

"What is. Amusing?" he asked with his slow paced speech.

Taylor smiled. "I was stuck in that locker for hours, and I nearly died. I'm sure that I'm sick in some way from all the... stuff in there. I was so sure no one would save me, and I lost hope in humanity. Now the only one who bothered to help isn't even human."

"Human? What is. Human?" Dehaka asked, sending signals of confusion.

She stared. "My species. You know, humanity? Do they not have it where you come from?"

Dehaka hissed, pacing back and forth. "We have Terrans. They are what you call, humans. They use space travel. You seem to lack such technology."

Taylor leaned in, ignoring her injuries for a moment. "Tell me more."

* * *

Dehaka was enjoying this new planet much more than he expected. His 'New Queen', who insisted on the designation 'Taylor', was quite interested in the swarm, not so afraid as he had expected from a young Terran. She was enraptured by the tales of the Swarm and the creatures it held, but was disappointed to hear that Dehaka had no ability to create more of the Swarm. She claimed they would be useful for revenge, or to take out capes. Dehaka made a note that there were enemies on this planet that his Queen deemed powerful enough to deserve the attention of the Swarm. He was drooling when he heard about the beings on this planet.

"Capes. Clarification is required." he said when he heard the term for the first time.

"You know, parahumans, people with powers. They can fly and shoot lasers, or a whole bunch of things." His Queen explained.

His mind shifted to the possibilities. "Example requested."

She pondered for a brief moment before responding. "Well, there's Alexandria, who could break a mountain with one punch, or lift a few hundred tons."

Dehaka blinked. "How large is, 'Alexandria'?"

"About my size. Why?" His Queen asked. Dehaka felt pure awe for the sheer amount of Essence that could be contained within such a powerful entity, all smaller than a Hydralisk.

"The Terrans here, have large amounts, of Essence. They are weak, never seeking for more. These 'capes' sound like a challenge. I wish to collect." he explained when she gave him a curious look.

"They are stronger than you know." she said. Dehaka felt a strange sense of deja vu. Had he heard that line before? "I will taste their Essence. Then I will know them."

"What is Essence?" she asked. Dehaka stared more, the sheer difference between Terran and Zerg cultures was astounding. Had they not even considered the existence of Essence? This must be rectified.

"Essence is change. Change is survival. Collect and live. Stay still and die." he said.

"What does that mean?" she asked. He sighed. This would take a while to explain.

* * *

Taylor was content. Not unhappy, but rather calm about the whole situation. Yes, she had almost died, but she was saved! Yes, he wasn't human, but he still cared for her and respected her authority. What use were humans anyway? They just stabbed you in the back when you least expect it.

They had finished communicating the important information from both of their lives, and had finally approached the story behind the locker.

"These girls at my school have been bullying me for years, and they finally went too far yesterday." Taylor said. "I was put in the locker with all those used... products. I was in there for hours until I guess I gained the power to communicate with you."

Dehaka nodded, understanding what she meant now that he had been briefed on what capes were and how they gained powers. "Did the Female Terrans. Harm you?" he asked. Worry and anger flitted over their connection. Taylor sent back a stream on information, everything she could remember them doing.

Dehaka snarled in anger as he watched memory after memory of his Queen being defiled by lower life forms, his back spikes lengthening and his eyes glowing maliciously. "These worms. Will pay. For harming you, my Queen. I will collect. I will slaughter. I will bring you. Their heads."

Taylor waved her hands, calming him mentally. "No! I don't want you to kill them." Dehaka stared at her in confusion. "Death is too good for them."

He grinned, his fangs shining in the night. "Agreed."

They sat together, Zerg and Terran, for once at peace with each other and focusing on a common goal.

"What is my purpose?" Dehaka asked, looking for guidance in this strange new world.

"Well, as you are partnered with me for the time being, and every person seems intent on harming me, let's get some revenge on my old friends..." she smiled, thinking of the possibilities. Dehaka felt glee emanating from her, the idea of psychological torture pleasing to her. She wanted everyone from Winslow to feel her pain, her suffering that they simply watched, refusing to help. Dehaka gazed upon pure potential. Yes, this Terran may have been human in body, but in mind she was a predator. A Zerg in Protoss clothing, if you will.

Taylor stood up abruptly, her thoughts running to her patriarchal figure. "Dad!" she cried, stumbling as her wounds ached from the strain. Dehaka could feel worry fill her. "We have to check on Dad!" she cried, trying to move again. Dehaka gently held her back.

"Leaving the area, it is inadvisable. Your wounds are not yet healed." Dehaka explained.

She stared at him defiantly, a burst of emotions flitting across their connection. He saw determination, longing, sadness, and... something unfamiliar.

"What is this... emotion?" he asked, sending an example of the feeling back to her.

Taylor blinked in surprise. "That's love. Can you not feel love? That must be awful."

Dehaka shivered in disgust. "I have no need for _emotional_ connections. They make weaknesses, exploitable openings in an opponent."

Taylor shrugged. "Well, I feel love for my dad, so I need to get back to him!"

Dehaka regarded the net gain of such a venture. Visiting her patriarchal relative would be revealing himself to a potential enemy, and then the rest of the Terran populace would be aware. However, if his Queen were to be trusted, then he would be an ally that would protect his Queen in times of danger.

Dehaka nodded, and Taylor grinned in happiness. She clambered onto his back, settling between his spiked on his back. "Onward, noble steed!" she said, a feeling of mirth filling her. Dehaka began moving, destination having been determined in seconds through their mental connection. ' _Well_ ', Dehaka thought. ' _If this 'Dad' is an enemy, he could always be disposed of before he becomes a threat._ '

* * *

Taylor blinked awake, realizing they had stopped moving. The repetitive motions of Dehaka had lulled her into a light sleep. "We have arrived." he said, sounding slightly indignant that he was used as a mode of transportation. She grinned, imagining Dehaka as the voice on a navigation app. He could be all like "Turn left, Terran." or "You are boring me. Speed up now."

Realizing Dehaka was waiting for an order while she was distracted, she directed him to her bedroom window. If she could get inside without her Dad knowing, she could rest well, healing over the next few days before going to school. If she went to the hospital, Dehaka would be revealed, and she might lose her only friend. Or she might lose a chance to get to Sophia once the authorities get involved.

She didn't have any broken bones, so a shower would be needed tomorrow. He leapt upwards, pushing open the window and slipping inside in one fluid movement, her body held close to his chest. They landed inside with barely any noise, and she slipped into her bed. Before she could give any more commands, she passed out, her body finally plummeting into a slumber. Dehaka curled up at the foot of her bed, settling down for his vigilant watch over his Queen.

* * *

Taylor woke up to raised voices echoing in the room and violent hissing from Dehaka. Her head was pounding, and she glanced up with bleary eyes to see her Dad facing off with Dehaka, a frying pan in one hand and a spatula in the other, apparently coming up when he made breakfast. She realized she hadn't told Dehaka to hide outside last night, and her father had found the intimidating beast resting near her as she slept. It probably didn't help that she had been missing all day as well. They both looked ready to kill each other. Only one word fit her emotions at that moment.

"Shit."


	3. Hunt 1-3

_I can already see the headlines (and the comments): One Terran wielding a frying pan and a spatula vs a Primal Zerg. Who would win?_

 _Just a note: I write with the idea of getting enjoyment from a story rather than the accuracy of it. If you want a very accurate to canon story, go look at stories by Ack. I highly recommend them. So don't get pissed if something doesn't match. Dehaka's opinion on Shadow Stalker is more of a displeasure of her similarity to Dark Templar and her lack of offensive use of the shadows like reaching through people to kill them. The public doesn't know of her more murderous tendencies._

 _Finally, let me know of any spelling errors. Thanks!_

 _Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well, some plot and events, but nothing else._

* * *

 **The-One-Who-Collects: Arrival 1.3**

What is the best weapon? If you asked Bakuda, she might say an antimatter grenade or some other explosive device. Lung would simply point at himself. Armsmaster would list his Halberd along with significantly complex ideas for End Bringer based defenses. If the person were not a Tinker, they might lack ingenuity and simply say a gun or a tank. Danny Hebert? He would have to argue that a frying pan does the trick. (And a spatula. It never hurts to have a backup melee weapon)

Why would Danny Hebert use such a... simple mortal weapon rather than something deadlier?

Frying pans. Let's talk about them. They're great for frying bacon, but equally good for bashing stuff. There is actually some truth to this, as unlike many other Improbable Weapons, a frying pan (particularly if it was recently used) can actually make a decent weapon, as well as cause quite a bit of damage (especially if it was recently used). One can assume that getting hit over the head with a slab of iron weighing five to ten pounds (or more) would cause a concussion at the very least. Indeed, the noble frying pan is a worthy melee weapon.

A solid blow to the head with a cast iron skillet would, at a minimum, cause a concussion, and would likely break bones. A blow to the face would cause things like fractured eye orbits, cheek bones, or jawbones, which is already nasty, but a blow to the rest of the head could actually fracture your brain case, and possibly depress a bone fragment into your brain. The momentum of the blow might also cause whiplash or other neck injury. This is definitely life threatening, and even if the victim survives, traumatic brain injury often has serious, permanent effects.

Repeated blows when the skull is already fractured will cause more fracturing, ultimately resulting in the brain case completely losing structural integrity: bone fragments may be displaced outward as the skin and muscle is ripped by the force of the blow, or displaced far inward. The majority of the brain is crushed, shredded, or ejected from the skull, causing instant death.

It should be mentioned that frying-pans-as-weapons are usually wielded by females. If a man is wielding one, then he is most likely a Chef of Iron, and the pan is just one of the many kitchen-themed weapons in his arsenal.

It should also be mentioned that wielding a typical cast iron skillet for any length of time, with any efficacy, would take considerable arm strength. After all, a good skillet is considerably heavier than most war maces. This marked Danny as a warrior of great strength to hold such a weapon for such a long period of time.

All of these are valid points to make when debating the proper weapon for combat, but they were not applicable when facing down an enormous nightmare spawn inside your teenage daughter's room. At five in the morning.

Couldn't he at least have his coffee first?

* * *

It had been a semi-normal morning. He woke up quite early, hoping to hear from the police if Taylor had returned. No such luck. He glanced across the hall at her door before plodding downstairs. Depressed, he made himself breakfast for once, going for bacon, the manly man's meal. No need for omelets or advanced techniques when one could slap some meat onto a hot piece of metal and be done with it.

Finishing the bacon and cleaning the non-stick, stainless steel pan, Danny had almost left the house when he froze. He later had no idea what caused him to pause, only that something felt off. Perhaps a change in the smell of the house, a breeze through the window, or the fact he burnt the bacon. Regardless, he felt someone was in the house. His gut feeling rarely was wrong, helping quite a lot during business deals and poker games.

He slowly slinked up the staircase, realizing he was still holding a spatula and pan. He could hear something behind Taylor's door, slight shuffling and a small creak.

Was someone in the house? Were they being robbed? He gripped his weapons of choice tightly, pulling open the door. His eyes first landed on the form in the bed, small and pale. "Taylor!" he gasped, moving forward. That was his first mistake.

His eyes then landed on the literal elephant in the room. ' _Whatthehellisthat?!'_ He thought, a dark mass curled up by her bed. He shook, some kind of primal terror filling him. The beast, for he could now make out its full form in detail, stood up languidly, four eyes flashing in the darkness.

His first thought was that _Leviathan_ was in his room. He had seen the news footage, and the thing before him looked eerily similar to the End-bringer. No, after a closer glimpse, it resembled Crawler more, many parts of its body seemed to be later attached, as if it had evolved in the same manner as the Slaughter House 9 member. It also wasn't over twenty feet tall.

A rumbling hiss sounded, the creatures yellow gaze staring him down, a prehensile tail moved lazily from side to side. It was actually similar to how a cat acts: it simply didn't give a shit about him.

His gaze moved silently back to Taylor. She was pale and not moving. A deadly being was in her room, and it was built to kill. His mind made an assumption.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" he roared, raising his arms. The frying pan swung around with a _swoosh_ , actually almost hitting the beast. It blinked in surprise.

"HOW DARE YOU MESS WITH _MY_ FAMILY!" _Swoosh_. The pan missed by another inch as it moved slightly to look at him better.

"GO ON! GET!" _Swoo- BONG!_

He stared at his hand, which held the frying pan, which had left an indent in the creature's large head. "Oh." he said, staring at the now furious monster. It growled, a combination of anger and surprise in it's gaze, as if it hadn't expected him to actually fight back.

"A-aw man." A weak voice came from the bed.

"Taylor?!" he said in surprise, turning to face his daughter. "Are you alright kiddo?"

The beast turned as well, staring at her with unreadable emotions. "You are healthy? Do you require sustenance?" The thing asked her.

"Oh, yeah. I'm good. Dehaka, it would be better if you let my Dad get me food. You're a bit too big to fit through the door." she said with a smile.

The thing nodded and crouched to the floor again. "He is strong. He did not retreat. I will tolerate him." The thing grumbled, mildly disappointed.

Danny stared. "What."

"Oh, Dad, meet Dehaka, my new friend. Isn't he beautiful?" Danny glanced at the plates of armor on the thing, and its yellow eyes. Yes, there was a kind of beauty, but it was the beauty a butcher sees in his freshly cut meat. "Dehaka, this is my father." she said, grinning. "Thanks for not killing him." Danny didn't know who that last sentence was directed at.

"Are you alright kiddo? I thought you were dead!" he said in shock. "I came home to find this 'Da Heka' under your bed!"

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "So you decided to attack the deadly monster instead of running?"

"I had to defend you!" he argued. The eyebrow was raised higher. "Well, it wasn't the smartest idea... but I still held my own!" he pointed out, immensely content with the achievement.

"Dad, you would be dead in half a second if I didn't tell him to leave you alone beforehand." Taylor said with a sigh. She coughed, wincing in discomfort. Dehaka nodded, still watching him. Danny wilted, his pride shattered. "Oh."

She nodded. "So, any questions?" she asked.

A barrage of questions followed.

* * *

The glass creaked in Danny's hand, a hairline fracture appearing. "And Winslow did _nothing?!_ " he roared. Those good for nothing-

"Calm down, you don't want to break another glass..." Taylor cautioned from the bed. It was now about seven in the morning, the last hour and a half having been Danny going through multiple glasses of alcohol in an attempt to stay calm while Taylor explained everything that happened at the school. The fact that she had a book that was thicker than a dictionary that contained only records of bullying attempts was supremely disheartening. He must have been a horrible father to not have noticed anything.

Dehaka seemed to have calmed down, a hint of respect in his gaze as Danny ranted about the atrocities performed at Winslow. Danny didn't know if he should be happy the killer alien approved of his actions.

He had already shattered two glasses, one from finding out Emma had betrayed Taylor, and another one when he was going through her journal. Now he was hearing about the locker, just barely preventing himself from snapping. "That's it. We're removing you from that fucking shit hole." He growled. She winced at his language, but neither of them cared. They were both feeding off each other's outrage, and they wanted to do something about the situation.

"That's fine. First moment I can, I'm getting revenge on the trio." Taylor grinned harshly.

Danny glanced at her. "You sure kiddo? If you mess up you could be in more trouble than they will be." He wasn't upset about getting revenge, but he had a feeling the revenge would involve the space alien.

Taylor scoffed. "What am I gonna do? Kill them?"

Danny considered it for about two seconds. So long as his daughter was fine, he was fine. "Plausible deniability. Don't tell me any details, I won't tell you any."

Taylor nodded. "Sure thing." There was a pause. "Can I have breakfast in bed since I'm not going to school?"

Danny smiled. "Alright kiddo." He moved to get food, gingerly stepping over Dehaka's tail.

* * *

Dehaka apparently didn't need to eat, having been fulfilled with the biomass and essence from the night before. Danny wisely didn't ask about it when he saw Taylor's expression after learning that fact.

The plan was for her to continue with school while Dehaka stayed at home. At night he could burrow out of their house to the sewers and go hunting by the Docks. He confirmed he could do so without collapsing the ground or breaking pipes. Once given a directive, he would go and fulfill it. Taylor was worried that he would kill people rather than restrain them. She gave him permission to kill the Merchants and anyone who tried to kill someone else. If a cape shows up, he would either run or stand his ground, but no killing. She had to explain the concept of rape to him, which was a trial all on its own. Danny had left for work long before that.

Once he left to patrol, he could interface with her like a computer, asking questions and getting automated responses, but Taylor herself would have no conscious input. He could wake her up if there was an issue. It would be necessary if she were to get sleep, as he could only go out at night.

Taylor smiled. "First, I need to teach you more about the other capes."

She gestured to the screen. "These are villains. More specifically, the most powerful Villains out there par the Endbringers. The Slaughterhouse 9. If you ever meet any of them you should run. They can kill you rather quickly ." Dehaka watched with rapt attention. "First up is Jack Slash. He can make any blade extend as far as he wants in an instant, so he can hit you from any distance." A click, and the page changed. "This is Shatterbird. She can control glass and sand with her voice, and when she screams all of the glass within miles will explode. She can't hurt you with that initial attack, but if she targets you specifically she could probably harm you.' She turned to Crawler's page on PHO. "This is who you might be the most interested in. This is Crawler. He evolves constantly, like you. Any damage dealt to him heals and he become immune to it afterwards. Not many people can hurt him any more." Dehaka stared at the image of the worm-like cape. Taylor sighed at Dehaka's obsession and moved on.

* * *

It was the afternoon, Taylor had just finished going over the patrol route for that night. Taylor held up a flashcard with an image on it. "Go."

Dehaka eyed the cape in the photograph. "That is the One-Who-Overwhelms, Alexandria. I wish to taste her essence. May I-"

"No, you may not." Taylor interrupted. "Next!" She held up a different card.

"That is Kaiser, The One-Who-Summons-Steel." They were working on Dehaka's recognition of capes, so he would better understand who not to attack in the field and so Taylor could reassure herself everything would be fine.

"Good, now the final one." A third card was shown.

"That is Shadow Stalker, The One-Who-Hides." They had an enormous argument about Shadow Stalker's powers, whether or not they were for hunting or for fleeing. At first Dehaka said she walked like a predator when they saw film of her fighting, but when he heard about her powers, something seemed to piss him off. He claimed she ' _hid like a Dark Templar'_ , never actually using the shadows for offense, merely hiding and waiting before striking without true power. This lead to a more in depth discussion on the Protoss, and she could see why they were the enemy of the Zerg based on their beliefs in harmony and purity. Dehaka was content with the knowledge that no 'true hunter' would act as Shadow Stalker did, hiding around and giving cheap shots to the back. He argued they would plan and stalk, yes, but not use it to avoid taking damage at all like she had before. It was a coward's strategy, he continued, stealing the killing blow from under a higher predator. Taylor argued it was for fighting because she could avoid projectiles with it, but admitted Dehaka was accurate in saying it had no known offensive use that they knew of.

"Good! Now, are you prepared to go patrol?!" Taylor asked, excitement coursing through her. Tonight she would be able to go patrol as a cape for the first time! Well, not exactly, but it was the closest she would get any time soon. She could hardly wait!

Dehaka nodded. "Anything for my Queen. I shall make your enemies quake and never consider harming you. I shall have my essence."

Taylor pouted. "Remember what I said, only the Merchants and the really bad ones, alright?" Dehaka nodded.

"As you wish." he said.

Danny watched them carefully, still uncomfortable with the seven or so foot monster in their house. "You will be careful, right kiddo?" he asked worriedly.

Taylor nodded. "I won't be in danger. I can see and hear everything Dehaka does without being there, so I can continue my life while living his. If he does get too far away then I will have to be closer to give commands, but I _trust him_ to not act rashly." a dangerous tone filled her voice as she glared at him.

Dehaka nodded. "I will not collect from innocents." He turned to the basement window, the crimson sunset bathing his skin. "I must go. It is time to collect."

"And protect!" Taylor added. With a final glance back at his Queen, Dehaka dug into the ground, carefully masking any signs he was there, or of his departure.

Tonight, he would hunt.

* * *

 **Purity of Essence** : The Xel'naga have an extremely unique method of reproduction. In each universe they shepherd, two races always emerge, one with purity of form, one with purity of essence. These two races travel to Ulnar, where the eldest Xel'naga give their life to ascend the races into new Xel'naga. But even before their ascension, these races gain special benefits from their purity. The Zerg, possessing purity of essence, ironically have the ability to get rid of that purity and consume other essences to change their form. While the Zerg can do this instinctively, it is possible to engineer this process if an intelligent being oversees the process. Essence can either be used as a general catalyst for evolution, or specific traits can be extracted from said essence and assimilated into whatever consumes it, sometimes heavily modified to suit the receiving creature. Those with purity of essence have an instinctive sense of the quantity and quality of essence in a given area or being. They also possess an extremely high rate of mutation, and are able to adapt to any scenario within a few generations. The Zerg have even been known to intentionally expose themselves to such hazardous environments in the hope of evolving to a stronger form. Purity of essence is what gives the Swarm its identity; to call it the Zerg's greatest strength would be to downplay its integrity to all forms of the Zerg. Without purity of essence, the Zerg would be nothing. With it, they have the potential to be anything.

* * *

 **Omake:** _The Frying Pan of Doom **/** The Baconator **/** Danny Hebert: Chef of Iron_

Dehaka cowered before the mighty being. Crushing blows cascaded upon him, shattering bones faster than he could regenerate. His tail twitched weakly, the hefty strikes had taken out the appendage first. Clearly this was a sign of superior intellect and strategic planning. Why else would they have targeted it?

His arms slowed, unable to predict the unique fighting style of his opponent. Each strike was so uncoordinated that he couldn't predict it, so used was he to the immense speed of other Zerg. In his attempt to prevent a secret attack, he would leave himself open for the simplest of blows.

By the Swarm, what kind of weapon could have done this?! Why had the Terrans of the Koprulu sector never designed such a thing.

He stared up at the Terran- no, the Monster above him. It raised the bloody circular weapon one last time and brought it down with vengeance. Dehaka knew no more.

The world would come to know of the Iron Chef, a cape so terrifyingly normal in appearance he was never spotted in action.

All he would have to say after the fact was his relief that it was stainless steel. It would 'save cleanup time'.

* * *

 _Dehaka's going out for the first time! (Note:_ I don't want to make this an official Quest, but I like the idea of having audience interaction dictate parts Dehaka's actions. _)_

 _Any situations you think might be interesting? I have a bunch of scenarios written, but none decided upon. For example he could take the info of Sophia and Emma and go straight for them for hurting his Queen, but that would reveal himself. He could meet the E88 and fight off some people. He might eat part of a cape or something. He could meet the Undersiders and have an altercation with Bitch's dogs. He could also go visit somewhere specific, like a zoo to get essence. Taylor didn't say anything about killing animals..._

 _Any evolutionary skills you think he should go for? I'll accept stuff from Starcraft and some new things based on other animals. The humans here have enough essence that he can evolve one trait (Another set of eyes, better senses, camouflage, basic short-lived minions, etc.) at a time every fifty or so people. Consuming a cape? Well, now_ that's _a different story._


	4. Hunt 1-4

**Here's the next update! If it's been a while since the last update, that's because I've been writing ahead of time. The next few chapters will have been written, or at least planned out in detail by the time this goes live. I learned my lesson from trying to write another story and hitting a wall because of rushed chapters. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I still own nothing, Starcraft II is owned by Activision Blizzard, and Worm by Wildbow. Thanks to Reddit for info on some stuff.**

* * *

 **The One Who Collects: Arrival** **1.4**

* * *

Taylor was silently laying in bed, observing through Dehaka's eyes. The tunnel he dug came out into the large sewer pipe and aqueduct system under Brockton. From there then had access to most major areas, including the Docks, near Arcadia, and the outlet pipe by the Boat Graveyard. He moved smoothly out, the small bits of rubble hitting the floor nearby. His advanced senses easily located nearby creatures in a radius, allowing them both to get a basic idea of their surroundings. Some small rodents swarmed nearby, a nest of some kind. Birds roosted in an abandoned ship, taking over the pilot's seat with their nest. Of course, Dehaka could hear all of this, but Taylor wasn't getting the full experience. There was a degree of separation when she looked through his senses, like being described a scene in vivid detail rather than actually _feeling_ it.

' _Can I... take control_?' Taylor asked.

' _Do as you wish.'_ he said.

She reached forward with her thoughts, excitedly taking control as her mind seemed to overlap his. With a jolt, Dehaka felt his arm move without his conscious thought, and his tail smacked into something by itself. He instinctively reared back, snarling at the unknown sensation. Taylor stopped in worry. ' _So sorry! I'll go slower!_ '

He felt her mind slip towards his once more, and seemed to overlap in an indescribable manner. Suddenly They were completely aware of new sensations, like salt in the air and the sound of small feet moving a good distance away. A breeze blew, startling them slightly as it hit their... tail?

They gasped in excitement as They turned in a circle, trying to catch their own tail. She seemed to be completely sharing the body together, both agreeing on what to do before They did it, like a computer.

Dehaka's worries and instincts felt natural to Taylor's mind, like she had been following them for ages. The need to mark a territory, to protect their pack, was almost overwhelming. These new emotions somehow didn't conflict with her other morals and ideas, despite him being a murder-demon and her being a semi-normal human girl. They took a few stumbling steps forward, Dehaka automatically guiding her movement with his mind. After a few minutes they were moving at an easy gait, no longer tripping over anything. The enhanced senses Dehaka had were available to them, but some things were still unable to be used, like some weird ultraviolet sight and a sense they couldn't explain in human words.

"Woah..." they said, startled by their own voice. Using their vocal cords was rather strange. They spoke in a rather light tone compared to the Primal's usual gruff, rasping voice. There was some kind of echo to their voice, like slightly delayed audio. "This is so cool! Is this what you feel all the time?" they said, tail swishing in excitement.

' _Of course. Shall we continue, my Queen?_ ' he said. ' _There is much to try, very little time to do so._ '

They nodded, their head smiling with glee, revealing a rather large row of canines as her mandibles extended. "Let's go!" they announced, moving off in a direction.

* * *

 _Sharing a body was unsettling_ , the mind that used to be Dehaka thought It was completely unlike anything he had seen before in his long life. He was aware of mounds of information he would have once found useless, detailing 'social interactions', and countless other things. He knew how to fight, survive, collect. That was all he knew. Now he was dealing with someone else with no combat experience whatsoever having control over his form. The connection was like a rope, each one of them pulling on it to control more of the body. For now he was letting his Queen run rampant, testing what she would do with his abilities. When it came to combat, he would pull most of the control and hunt. He hoped there would be no negative effects upon his capabilities once she finished.

A sound interrupted them. Ah, it seemed there was someone nearby. Finally.

* * *

"Help me!" a shout sounded out from nearby, the sound echoing in their ears. It had been a good hour or two since they had seen someone nearby, but it had just been a late night worker returning home. This was the longest they had ever seen Brockton without crime nearby. Relief and anticipation flooded their mind when it was heard. They perked up, probably looking ridiculous as they stumbled over to the location. Dehaka seemed to roll his eyes, giving her the knowledge of how to move silently in his body. She began moving more smoothly, not realizing the transition had already happened. Turning a corner, she took in the situation. Seven or so ABB thugs had cornered three woman in an alleyway. They had an assortment of weapons. A few handguns, one was brandishing a knife while another had a broken beer bottle.

She silently moved behind them, preparing to strike. The woman they were cornering whimpered when she lay her eyes upon Dehaka's form. "What's the matter bitch? Are we that scary?" a man with particularly long hair said with a smirk.

They chuckled, startling the men. They whirled around, and froze in fear at the sight of the Primal. "Terrans." They said, taking a step forward. "Back away, or you will regret it. This is my territory now."

"What the hell are you?" One man said in fear. They let out a barking laugh, like that sound the velociraptors made in Jurassic Park. Taylor had always enjoyed that movie.

"I am the One Who Collects. I am Dehaka." With that They slammed one of the men into the ground, feeling a rib or two crack. It was not a fatal wound. Taylor made sure of that.

The others had mixed reactions. Two of them began running, one tripping as they fled. One passed out at the sight of Them, terrified at the form of the Primal Zerg. The remaining four pulled out weapons. Ironically, one of the men who stayed was the one with the broken beer bottle, while the man who had tripped was the one who seemed to be the most prepared for combat with a large handgun in his back pocket.

"Filthy Terrans." They growled. He charged down the alley, three Terrans now aiming their firearms. "Die Kaiju!" One man shouted in anger. Loud sounds burst from the weapons, and Dehaka turned slightly to block the impact. The Terrans' weapons hurt, but he would heal. Their essence would heal the damage-

They froze briefly as the bullets hit them. The pieces of high velocity metal stopped in their tracks as they made contact with their body, flattening instantly. They picked up the gun from the fallen Terran in a claw, crushing it easily. He realized the importance in this situation.

These Terrans had no advanced tech. No Goliaths. No Thors. No Yamato Cannons. No Tactical Nukes. Not even a simple C-14 Impaler gauss rifle that a Marine would be equipped with. Those weapons were strong enough to puncture a little bit of his hide, but could not kill him. Here, on this uneducated, primitive version of Korhal, the Terrans could not even scratch him. The only thing to harm him so far was his Queen's patriarch, and that was because of a particularly well placed blow on his head spine, a weaker section of his skull. He had healed in a millisecond.

Now when these Terrans, this _trash_ , shot Them with their weapons, they realized They were quite literally invincible against anything these Terrans could use. Parahumans would be able to, and maybe The-One-Who-Burns could challenge him head to head, but anything short of a sniper rifle or a plasma weapon would not work.

They cackled as they charged gleefully, an unearthly barking sound that pierced their ears.

They charged forwarded gleefully, pushing the men around with their charge and trampling one who got in their way. Dehaka's knowledge from decades of combat allowed them to use some of his abilities quite easily.

With a strange motion in their throat, They used their tongue to grab the fleeing man and pull him back towards her. The long appendage was glowing green, with a grasping claw at the end of it. It grabbed the man with ease, dragging him backwards by an arm. He struggled, but they ignored him disgusted with his taste. They knocked him out with a firm blow once he was within range. ' _I need a better was to restrain criminals. Maybe if we bought some zip ties...'_ Taylor's mind thought, setting aside a mental note to buy some.

The men behind them lay on the floor, unconscious. They did a victory cheer, humming a little tune. One man, who was still conscious but unable to move, paled even further at the sound. Their voice wasn't that bad, right?

With a final light smack to his forehead, the Terran fell silent. She let out a victory roar, the sound echoing off of the fallen boats and scaring off a few small birds.

They eyed the Terran they had just hit. He was bleeding slightly, the red showing on his arm. It smelled like copper, with the essence flowing within. _Delicious_. They licked their lips and-

"E-excuse me?" a soft voice said from next to them. They turned to see one of the women they saved stepping forward, the other two looking terrified from behind them. "Thank you for helping us. Your name was 'The haka', right?" she stumbled through their name.

"I am De-ha-ka." they enunciated. It would be best to use Dehaka as their name, as Taylor would not always be in a place to easily take control. "It was nothing." It really was nothing. Those Terrans were less than worthless. The woman thanked them again profusely, offering them money. After a moment of deliberation They accepted the small pouch of cash with small smile, not sure how to react. They held it tightly in his smaller grasping limb, keeping the money safe from damages until they could get it back to Taylor.

With a nod, they lumbered away from the women, making their way back into the Boat Graveyard, leaving the warehouse district. A glance at the moon showed they still had time, only an hour or two had passed, and it was now nearing midnight. She leaned around a corner, looking towards the sound, and suddenly she was assaulted with pain in her head.

Taylor pulled back with a gasp, clenching her forehead in pain as a headache pulsed behind her eye. With a blink of surprise, she found herself back in her normal body, which had fallen back onto her bed once she was controlling Dehaka. Why was she back here? She had just knocked out the last thug... and now she couldn't remember what happened next.

"What the hell?" she gasped, shaking slightly. ' _Dehaka? Are you alright? I forgot what just happened. I got a headache all of a sudden, and I couldn't focus._ '

Dehaka shook himself, readjusting to his own body. ' _I do not know. You may have pushed yourself too far, as your fragile mind is not yet ready to control something as powerful as I._ ' He went through the memory of their union. They had nearly taken a bit of essence and then left, but the Terran females had interrupted. He remembered the satisfaction they had felt when the women thanked them, and he shivered. The emotion was strange. He did not like it very much, but his Queen seemed ecstatic.

Taylor rubbed her chin in thought. ' _If I learned anything in the dump they call Winslow, then I suppose it must be something with how my brain has to give you commands. You have more than four limbs, and multiple senses I can't understand. That can't be healthy over an extended period of time. I shouldn't do that again, to be safe._ ' She hesitated. ' _That was really fun though. Is fighting always like that?_ '

 _'They were weaklings.'_ Dehaka scoffed. ' _They could not harm us, despite it being your first time. Such simple conditions make conflict enjoyable, if lacking.'_ He turned his head, staring back at the unconscious victims.

' _I mean, you are practically a tank. I doubt most things we Terrans have are able to harm you._ _Maybe Tinker stuff and military gear, but these certainly aren't near that level._ ' she replied, stretching slightly. ' _You can have control back now, I don't really trust myself to not mess up and hurt someone too much. Although it was_ really _fun._ '

He chuffed in mild amusement, scanning the area again. He shook his head and turned back to the large ship he was examining. While he traveled, Taylor sat up at home in her normal body and began writing an anonymous email to the BBPD. It was better than a phone call, because she had no cell phone, and if movies told her anything, they could trace the call. At least with this method, it wasn't legal for them to backtrack the burner email she made.

* * *

 _To Whom it may concern,_

 _I am a new Independent cape, recently having got powers. I am reporting that there are 8 subdued ABB members on the border of the Boat Graveyard. I took them out after seeing them harassing and about to assault three women. It was near Dock Street and Arch Avenue, if I recall correctly. There are only minor injuries, and I tried to make sure they were all okay before I left. I didn't have any way to tie them up, but they shouldn't be moving for a while. I'd appreciate it if you could pick them up._

* * *

She sent the email with a click. Hopefully it would be good enough for them. There was no need to leave her name at the end, at least not until she had one planned along with a costume. This really highlighted the usefulness of having Dehaka out in the city while she could be at home. Imagine having some other power, and having to plan for months before going out. It must be so boring for normal capes before they debut.

Dehaka closed his eyes, focusing. He could feel multiple distinct sources of essence in the surrounding area. One from the large bubble in the bay, where the Terran heroes resided, another towards the rest of the city, too many over too wide of an area to feel with precision, and finally a few particularly close cluster a few blocks away.

' _What are you doing?'_ Taylor asked curiously. She could tell he was getting information somehow, but it was like looking at an optical illusion, but with your nose.

' _I am sensing essence. I watch the flow, find the pools. Then I drain them dry. You say the gangs have capes. Capes have essence. Therefore I am looking for essence to keep track of threats._ ' he explained.

Taylor perked up. ' _Can I learn to see essence?'_ she asked, interest piqued.

 _'That is not-'_ Dehaka paused. What was to say she could not experience same things he did? It would not be hard for him to accomplish, not as much as making a strain of Zerg like Abathur, or a psionic ability like the Infestors, but within his limits.

Now that he thought about it, if Abathur were here he would have been modifying His Queen within hours of meeting her. It was inexcusable that she had no method of self defense. Perhaps a Primal Hydralisk to follow her around? A personal Roach underground? An interesting idea, but one that could be easily prevented by an opponent who was aware. Dehaka himself was not that skilled in genetic manipulation, but what he had in mind wouldn't take too much effort. ' _I have a better proposal. I can change your form. I am skilled enough. Your body is malleable, unspecialized. Simple changes will be required. Night vision, better movement, and heightened senses. Perhaps defenses against mind manipulation and pheromone usage.'_ he explained.

Taylor sat in thought for a moment. ' _But I can also see essence?'_ she asked hopefully.

Dehaka sighed. ' _Yes. You can also sense essence. It will take a moment. No one will notice._ '

Taylor mused over a bit more. ' _It sounds intriguing, but I should probably get my Dad's approval after thinking it over a bit more. Give me a bit. I also want to make sure there aren't side effects, since the action of controlling you gives me a headache.'_ She yawned heavily, wincing as her head pulsed again. ' _I think I'll call it a night. Make sure to stay in the sewers for now and get used to the area. Tomorrow we can go out again, and I'll try to determine the limit of my controlling power._ '

Dehaka nodded. ' _If it is as you wish, I will wait.'_

She smiled. ' _Thanks for understanding. You did really well tonight. I'll try to find a solution to feeding you tomorrow. There must be someone who you can collect from that there wouldn't be an issue for. My head hurts too much to think right now.'_

He preened under the praise, and lumbered back towards to storm drain opening.

* * *

 _END CHAPTER_

 _I want the reader's opinions about how the story should go, so I have a few questions for you:_

 _1\. Earth Bet has many, many different creatures that don't exist in the Koprulu Sector. Everything from bears to crocodiles to eagles. I want to know if you think Dehaka should prioritize going after animals on Earth to gain new traits by breaking into a zoo or going after Blasto, and if so, which animals he should go after. (within reason, naturally. Don't just say something he cannot reasonably get ahold of in a few days time)_

 _2\. A follow up question. If he were to make a pack of Primal Zerg, what animals from Earth should he mix into the Zerg? Like if he were to make a unit specialized in assassination, what animal aspect combo would you want?_

 **To clarify for those who played both Starcraft and Heroes of the Storm, this is the Dehaka from Starcraft II but with a year or two more of evolution upon his lifespan. He still has the orbs along his body, and three of his limbs, but has six eyes now. His back spikes are actually solid and sharp, and can be used as attack and defense if needed. Some powers from Heroes of the Storm like the Dark Swarm and the healing via essence are added as well. Since this takes place ages after the campaigns, he is more powerful. Along with this comes more evolutionary traits he had gained, such as breathing underwater, night vision, and resistances to elemental damages like heat and cold. He can also use up stored essence for the rapid adaptation to a threat, quickly improving one of his existing traits rather than gaining a new one, similar to Crawler in some aspects. He has also learned the basics about strain manipulation from Abathur so he can introduce new DNA into his pack if needed.**

 **Let me know of any interesting DNA that you think Dehaka should go after!**

 **Also: FUUUUUUSIOOOOON!**


End file.
